


The Heart I Thought I'd Lost

by Sylvas



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Porn With Plot, fwb to lovers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-09-22
Packaged: 2019-06-22 16:21:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15585870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylvas/pseuds/Sylvas
Summary: Eirika gave love a fair chance. It let her down one too many times. She doesn't need it to be happy - if she wants to inherit the family business and live up to her father's expectations, she'll be quite busy with work, and that's more than enough to fulfill her. She's at peace with it.If only Tana would be, but no, Tana is too attached to the sweet little romantic that Eirika used to be, and can't help but meddle. She swears that she's got the answer this time, but needless to say, Eirika is pretty skeptical.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based (very) loosely on [this](http://soulbell.tumblr.com/post/172908950889/dynastylnoire-striikee-emiliusthegreat) post... or at least it was, but then it grew out of hand... 
> 
> This is very much a personal for-fun project, so it's not finished yet and has no update schedule, unlike most of my work. Also I doubt the quality is quite as high. But hopefully you like it anyway!

"You'll never know if you don't try, Eirika."

Eirika didn't really process this statement at first. She was filtering through old memories, ancient adolescent daydreams, wondering where she'd gone astray. When she did drag herself back to the present, she closed her eyes, shutting out the coffee shop for a moment and letting out a deep, bitter sigh. 

"I've tried a lot of things," she said dully. 

"You have," Tana admitted, a little weakly. She must have felt that Eirika sounded upset. "But... I'm serious, Eirika, we've talked about this a lot, and -- and I'm sure." 

"This is the one?" Eirika sighed, propping herself up on one hand, raising her eyebrows. "This is the miracle cure? _This_?" 

"Look, I get that you're skeptical." Tana tented her fingers. Even at their most intense, Tana's eyes sparkled with a childish joy that Eirika could not help but envy. "I get how this comes across," she continued. "Like I'm pushing my own tastes on you, or whatever." 

"Tana," Eirika sighed again. "What happens when you're wrong, and I'm just a loveless business adult?"

"That's not you!" Tana protested, adamant, almost offended. "I've known you since you were little, Eirika! You're not like that! You used to be so romantic and sweet, and you wasted yourself on people that didn't deserve that beautiful heart of yours and I just can't watch you do this to yourself!" 

Eirika didn't know what to say to that. She looked out the window again instead. It was fortunate they'd found this hole in the wall in the first place, a tiny alleyway coffee shop that they could have these sorts of conversations in at odd hours without other people listening in. Tana tended to like to rave about her sexual adventures, and admittedly, Eirika liked to listen in and vicariously enjoy some semblance of intimacy. 

"Think about it," Tana was continuing, urgency rising in her voice. "All of those would-be suitors were people you admired, but who looked down on you, saw you as a resource to be managed, and didn't see a reason for that to be a disagreeable arrangement. They're nothing like what you're looking for, but those are the only kinds of people that you ever look up to."

"You're a psychoanalyst now," Eirika observed dryly. 

"You look up to people that are as business-minded as you," Tana continued, disgruntled, "because that's the quality that you admire about yourself most, because it's what people around you built up about you. And I asked you why you don't go after a romantic boy, and -- ?"

"Because it's childish," Eirika sighed. "I'm not interested in dating dreamy-eyed children. They're cute, and it's a nice idea, but it won't work." 

"You don't have any other alternative," Tana exclaimed. "That's the problem, Eirika. You've never imagined anything else for yourself. You decided your old daydreams were never going to come true and tried to settle instead, but you'll never be happy that way."

"And you think you have an alternative," Eirika said quietly. Tana nodded fervently. "A woman." 

"Well, that's just proximity," Tana said dismissively, waving her hand. "If that turns you off to it, I totally get it, Eirika. I'm not gonna be offended and neither is she. I'm not trying to push gay on you, I just know she can you show you what you're missing."

"Honestly, I'm going to say yes, just because I'm curious." Eirika managed a half-smile, curling the corners of her lips. "Worst case scenario, it's just the same as I'm used to and we move on. But will you be upset with that?" 

"I'll be disappointed," Tana admitted. "But I won't give up. But honestly, Eirika, I really do think we've got it this time. She's going to change your life." 

"You said that about the first time I had sex with a man," Eirika said pointedly, her smirk growing. Tana folded her arms. "I'm just saying. Life-changing events aren't that simple."

"Well," Tana grumped, "this time, I'm not the first one that said it." She lifted her phone, her manicured thumbs tapping away in a flurry. "She's been quite excited to meet you." 

"Oh, good lord," Eirika sighed, "how much exactly have you told her already?" 

"Enough for her clinical diagnosis," Tana said cryptically, glancing up over the edge of her phone. "I'll give her your number, then." 

 

She received a message from the stranger at 7:00, but not quite precisely; not so suddenly as to be scheduled, but a few seconds after the hour suggesting a deliberate promptness. Eirika somehow found that pleasing. She was reclining just after dinner to check her email and it was a very satisfying moment to receive this message. 

_Good evening. My name is Medb; our mutual friend Tana suggested that I might be able to help you with something you're working through._

...Tactful. Punctual. Straightforward. Eirika was honestly caught off guard. Not necessarily by the formality of this person - far from it actually - but rather by her proximity to... Tana, of all people. For just a moment she began to wonder if Tana knew what she was doing after all. But... no, it was far too early to judge. Eirika had gotten her hopes up before, and she had yet to see someone live up to them. 

She typed out a simple response, and then set her phone aside: 

_I am Eirika. It's nice to hear from you, Medb. Would this Thursday at 10pm be an acceptable meeting time?_

She had only just signed into her office computer when her phone buzzed again. She glanced at it. Perhaps it was silly of her, but she hadn't expected such an instant response. With a sourceless dread she lifted her phone once more; 

_I was actually thinking we might meet up tonight, if you're up for it._

Eirika stared at it. She didn't know what to make of that suggestion at all. 

_Why?_ she asked.

 _You're asking why? This might be more serious than I realized._

Eirika's eyes narrowed. What was this person playing at? _We will meet at my discretion, and I've proposed a time. Does Thursday night not work for you?_

_Of course we'll meet at your discretion. But it's my professional opinion that tonight would be better if possible. So, are you busy tonight?_

Professional. This couldn't be - some kind of... upper-class prostitute. Could it? It would be so like Tana to set her up with someone like that, and play it off like it was nothing. She rolled her eyes. _Yes, I am_ . . . she started to type, but she deleted it. Honestly, maybe it was best just to get this silliness overwith. 

_Very well,_ she replied instead. 

_Lovely. Secondly, are you sure about 10pm? Could we meet a little earlier for coffee beforehand? This one's totally up to you._

Who in the hell did this person think she was? Eirika gestured angrily at her phone, as if it had any meaning whatsoever to do so. _I don't know what Tana told you, but I'm a busy woman, Medb._

 _So cold! I can take a hint. I'll see you at 10 tonight. Tata!_

Eirika glared at her phone. _'Tata'?!_

 

The closer to the appointed time she got, the more ambiently distraught Eirika became. She got out some pinot noir, thinking she'd serve her guest wine, only to think better of it after helping herself to a glass, but now she didn't want to put it back just in case, and then she spent fifteen minutes pacing the front room. She hadn't gotten anything done that evening, so she'd sacrificed an entire night for Tana's little experiment. But, better to have it over with, she supposed. 

At 9:58, her doorbell rang, and Eirika drew herself up, brushed off her blouse, and strutted over to the door. 

The woman that waited on her threshold was a petite fair-skinned beauty, long strands of pale pink hair trailing over her shoulders and brushing below the small of her back; she had a small black duffel under her arm that Eirika's eyes tracked to naturally, before returning to her face. Her face - she just had one of those faces, with the shape and the complexion, that made Eirika just... mad. How dare you look so perfect. I had to work so hard... 

"Ah, Eirika!" Medb smiled saccharinely, offering her free hand, and Eirika shook it stiffly. "Tana was right," she hummed, "you are quite beautiful." 

Uh. Eirika blinked. She had not expected that. Why not? 

"Well, then," Medb said cheerily, "I can tell we have quite a bit of work to do. Shall we get started?" 

Um. Eirika stepped back a bit numbly, and gestured for her to come in, managing to mumble an invitation after Medb had already taken her first step in. She cleared her throat; Medb turned back, innocently curious. "C-Can I help you to anything?" she offered, as she closed the door. "Something to drink, or..."

"I'll be having plenty to drink soon enough," Medb said coyly, winking. Eirika stared at her dumbfounded, and Medb turned and continued into the house, her hips swaying playfully. "Where will we be working? Hmm?"

"Upstairs," Eirika said blankly, darting forward to catch up to her and leading her to the stairs. Medb followed along, humming, and Eirika felt a creeping dread overtaking her. She had this person both completely figured out and entirely wrong simultaneously. This was some kind of lecherous vagrant, right? One of those college-graduate drifters that Tana seemed to romanticize so much, living "as free as the wind" or however she'd describe it. The very opposite of the sort of person Eirika wanted to be, or to come into contact with. At this point, it was almost entirely for the sake of her friendship with Tana that she was continuing to humor this, but she was beginning to steel herself for a very unpleasant evening. 

When they reached Eirika's bedroom Medb took a quick, appraising look around the room - Eirika thought at first it was a terribly unsubtle judgment pass, but watching her eyes she wasn't so sure - then set her little bag down on the bed, and turned to face Eirika with a sweet little smile. Eirika busied herself closing the door, shutting the blinds, ensuring they were invisible to the outside world. She was starting to feel deeply anxious. "Eirika," Medb said, but Eirika ignored her until the windows were all black and the room was only illuminated by the pale orange fan lights overhead. Then she turned and folded her arms, glaring. 

"You seem to have this all figured out," she said imperiously, "so, explain to me how this will work."

"Goodness," Medb sighed. Was that... dreamy? Or despairing? Eirika couldn't tell, it seemed to have qualities of both, lament in her voice and excitement in her eyes, and also vice versa. "Eirika. Sweetheart. You're in a bad way. You realize that, don't you?" 

"I'm doing fine for myself," Eirika countered. She sounded defensive. She _felt_ defensive. 

"You're so determined not to enjoy yourself." Medb shook her head sadly. "Eirika, honey. Have you ever had a massage?" 

"Please stop with the pet names. And yes, Tana has taken me more than once."

"Think of this as the same sort of self-care," Medb cooed. "Just relax, Eirika, and let me do all the hard work. My job is to help you feel good, and you don't need to think about it any more than that. Alright?"

 _What would make me feel better is if you left._ Not that she could say that. So she just pursed her lips instead, and didn't move. "Fine." 

"Good. And, it should go without saying, if there's anything at all about this that you don't love, you let me know right away."

"Believe me, I will." 

"Goooood." Medb smiled, and began to advance in slow, languid steps. "Now. Close your eyes for me..." 

Eirika took a deep breath, tightened her shoulders, and... closed her eyes. She could hear her own breathing, harsh and hurried, and Medb's steps, slow and steady. Then the steps stopped... and she felt delicate fingers on her cheek, a hesitant touch - Eirika tensed but didn't flinch back, and allowed Medb to guide her down a little, correctly guessing that she wanted a kiss. 

She returned a bit of pressure into Medb's kiss, hoping to indicate some level of cooperativeness, but Medb actually pulled away and tutted loudly. "Now now, Eirika. This is from me to you."

Eirika sighed irritably, opening her eyes again. "I don't -- " Somehow the visage of Medb so close to her face shocked her out of her next words, though - Medb had such a soft, near-innocent expression, smiling and chewing on her lip, her eyes searching Eirika's face with a sort of... adoring wonder. Was this somehow part of her act? She cleared her throat. "I don't intend to just lie back and be acted upon like so much meat," she protested. 

"But you are so much meat," Medb purred, and she giggled. Eirika balked. "We'll never get anywhere if you're all closed off like this. Give me a little trust, and I'll show you what I mean to do with it... and you can decide if you trust me a little more, and then I can do a little more. Alright? That's how we'll do this."

Eirika closed her eyes again, taking a deep breath and trying aimlessly to calm herself. This person clearly didn't mean to make Eirika uncomfortable, right? It wasn't her fault that she was far from Eirika's type. She felt a sort of sick satisfaction at the realization that, just as she'd predicted, this was very much the same as all of Eirika's prior experiences -- she was just living up to what was expected of her, doing what was asked, because that was all "intimacy" ever was. You invest in another person, and they reward you; another person invests in you, and you reward them. 

It was easier to swallow this whole experience knowing that. She wasn't about to have her life changed, or anything absurd like that. Medb was a nice, well-meaning person, but so were all of Eirika's former partners; Medb's very different outlook wasn't enough to overcome the nature of all sexuality, period. So, yes, this time she'd do as Medb asked. It was unusual, but she'd been asked to do unusual things before. It didn't change the core of what they were doing. Medb would have her way with her, and that would be that. 

"Go ahead," she murmured. 

Medb cupped her face again, and guided her into another kiss, and this time Eirika didn't respond to her. Medb's lips were very, very soft, so much so they almost didn't apply any pressure; Eirika moved her lips trying to find purchase, but Medb parted hers in response, as if tauntingly holding herself out of reach. Eirika found herself annoyed; she hadn't meant to do that, it was just a reflex... but, fine, she relaxed again and Medb pressed into her - and the exact same exchange happened a second time, but Medb now managed to part both their lips, angling her head and pressing closer into Eirika with a soft, hungry sound; her arm gently wrapped around Eirika's shoulders, holding her closer - trapping her a little? - and at the same time she felt Medb's tongue tracing sweetly back and forth on her bottom lip, and she - shuddered - and - 

What was happening?! Her legs felt like jelly and her heart was racing, her fingers had closed around Medb's coat but her grip felt feeble - startled, she pulled back, but the movement felt half-hearted and for a moment she thought she was trapped - But Medb released her, almost casually, smiling oh so sweetly as Eirika staggered back. "You really like that," she giggled. 

"I..." She shook her head, dazed, aware that her face was bright red. "I-I'm sorry," she mumbled, "I was... startled." 

"Didn't think you'd enjoy kissing a girl so much, did you?" Medb stepped close again, gathering Eirika's blouse in her hands and pulling their chests together, sizing her up. Eirika found it almost impossible to maintain eye contact. "Now then. I think we're just about ready to get started." She pushed gently on the center of Eirika's chest. "Take a seat on the bed for me." 

So, Eirika shifted back until she bumped into the bed and sat back on it; Medb pulled her little duffel over to them and began rifling through it, and Eirika realized she'd forgotten it existed. "Can I ask you a question?" Medb said conversationally.

"What?"

"How tough would you say you are?" 

Eirika all but scoffed. "Don't mistake me," she said indignantly. "I'm not delicate. I don't take kindly to being patronized."

Medb looked up at her with a knowing smirk. "I thought you might say something like that," she cooed. "Even so, I'll take things a bit slow to start with." She lifted some things from her bag, draping them against the side so that they'd be easy to remove later - Eirika caught sight of a silvery metal ring lined with pink fur, and a long, smooth, black... SOMETHING... but then Medb climbed up into her lap and Eirika was forced to return her attention to her guest. Medb licked her lips, her face lighting up slowly as she took Eirika in. "You're so adorable," she sighed blissfully, leaning into Eirika's neck.

Eirika made to reply, but in that moment Medb pressed her lips to Eirika's neck and her breath came out of her in a strained, unexpected hiss. Medb giggled, and kissed her again, firmly and wetly, her hands worming their way into the neck of Eirika's blouse and parting it effortlessly as though the buttons melted away at her touch. She cupped and lifted Eirika's bra, kissing her breast delicately as though it were an offering - beneath Medb's lips Eirika's heart fluttered - and Medb gently reached under and lifted her bra up, exposing Eirika's breasts, and pressed her lips to Eirika's nipple, kissing more firmly still - and then sucking, once, hard enough to strain just a little. 

Eirika was withering. She'd felt all of these things before, she... thought... but Medb was doing something to her, something that Eirika almost didn't want to admit. But how long could she reasonably deny it? She watched as Medb taunted and teased her, her tongue now playfully circling her areola; she watched her own chest rise and fall jaggedly as she failed to steady her breath, she felt the hammering of her heart in her chest and the rising heat from the core of her body; she thought back to how hard she had to work to coax herself to this feeling before, compared to how effortlessly Medb had already led her here, and she wondered... _Was Tana right?_ It couldn't be... not someone like this, not... not like this...? 

Medb trailed kisses down Eirika's stomach, her hands swiftly unraveling Eirika's belt and dress pants now - with a shock Eirika realized what was coming - she blinked and they were at her ankles, and Medb pried them over her feet one by one and set them aside, then kissed her ankle and back up her thighs... This was not new to Eirika, she was supposed to know how this felt and how it would end, so why was she so filled with anticipation? Why was she holding her breath?! "M-Medb," she gulped, and Medb glanced up from between her legs with shining, playful eyes. 

"Yes, Eirika?" she purred. Eirika parted her lips, but didn't know what to say. She felt so out of breath, and somehow Medb merely saying her name was enough to make her quiver now. "Don't you worry," Medb continued, her voice gentle and husky. "Just lay back and let me show you heaven." 

"Um..." Eirika bit her lip, and nodded a bit numbly. That... _was_ why she was here, so... "O-Okay..." Medb wiggled her hips, and dove in. 

Her first touch was like lightning - except it didn't end! Eirika gasped, and then whimpered - it became hard to hold herself up, and she had to brace backwards with one hand to stay upright. What did she do with her other hand? She tried to cover her mouth with it. Her breathing wouldn't slow down and her voice was creeping in, beyond her control rather than something she manufactured to sound good - how was this real...?! This was _nothing_ like what it felt like when she played with herself, nothing like when she had allowed anyone else to treat her like this - why was she so... completely different?

Medb hummed as she worked; Eirika wasn't certain but she thought she could feel her tongue as it probed and searched and stirred, every motion just as playful as her honeyed words ever were. Ohh, Eirika was melting into the bed - her vision was blurry now, the hand propping her up was shaking, more strength leaving her by the second. Her body was tensing up. She had to prop herself up by both hands. Her back arched, her breath caught in her throat, her body rocked once as Medb touched something in her that seemed to reach all the way up her spine, and when she finally exhaled it was with a deep, keening whine. It was a shameful sound, but something dark and long-hidden in Eirika's mind loved it. She was beyond helpless. And through all of it Medb didn't flinch, humming and probing and slurping with delight. 

_Is this it?_ Eirika thought, in her near delirium. Another spasm wracked her body and she whimpered, then moaned loudly, tearing up. Another moan was already building. _It - it is, this is it, this is it...!_

And sure enough, everything unbound all at once, Eirika's vision turned white, and with a cry at the peak of her voice Eirika came. 

She slumped backwards onto the bed as it finished - had she passed out? She felt kind of like she had. She was heavy, weighed down by fatigue as though she'd just lifted a car, her body lightly painted with dots of sweat but flushing brilliant crimson with latent heat. Her eyes wouldn't focus, even as Medb kissed and crawled her way back up Eirika's stomach, and hovered over her on all fours with a delighted grin. 

"I came," Eirika gasped, in total disbelief. "I... think? W-was that what that was?"

"You certainly sounded like you were enjoying yourself," Medb giggled, cupping her cheek. Eirika felt so cold all of a sudden and Medb felt so warm! Eirika was struck momentarily by a deep fear that Medb was going to leave her - then by shame at such a pathetic reaction, but - but damn it, it had finally happened, was it wrong to want it to happen again?! 

"I-Is that all?" she managed to ask, hoping that she hadn't betrayed the longing desperation in her heart. Judging by Medb's dramatic chuckle, though, there probably wasn't much point to trying to hide anything just then.

"I told you," Medb crooned, "we have quite a bit of work to do. We're only just getting started, dear sweet Eirika."


	2. Chapter 2

Eirika's face was burning long before Tana actually sat down with her. Even with her hand over her eyes she could still feel Tana's expectant grin. 

"Sooo?" Tana crooned expectantly, making no attempt whatsoever to hide her excitement. 

Eirika sighed heavily, taking another moment to examine their choice of venue. She'd taken an odd lunch break, so they had arrived a bit earlier than the usual rush hour and the shop was pretty quiet. The baristas were busy finishing their cleaning from the morning to prepare, and the other patrons across the room were involved in their own animated conversation, which from what Eirika could hear was between several long-lost friends that were just reuniting for the first time. She was happy for them. It was strange. She was just kind of... happy. Even with all of the shame. 

"Eirika," Tana whined, "you don't have to be ashamed of anything! Just let yourself admit how you feel and then tell me and we'll go from there!"

"I'm not in denial," Eirika muttered, sighing angrily and hanging her head, running her hands through her scalp. Her hair felt like a mess and she couldn't bring herself to be upset about it. "So, yes, as I'm sure you've guessed from my total lack of composure, it was, erm."

"It was?" Tana leaned in. Like a cat preparing to pounce. 

"Really good," Eirika mumbled. 

"Ohhhh?" Tana leaned in further, grinning wickedly. "How good?" 

"Tana, please." Eirika glared up at her. "You've got what you wanted." 

"Oh, come on!" Tana leaned back all at once, folding her arms and pouting. "You weren't this stuck up about it this morning!"

"I'm not being stuck up," Eirika retorted. 

"I'm going to read you these texts, okay?" Tana whipped out her phone and cleared her throat theatrically; Eirika went white immediately. "Tell me if this sounds even remotely like the Eirika you know - "

"Oh, gods, Tana, don't," Eirika whispered. 

" _Tana I have something to confess_ ," Tana began, in a playful - but mercifully quiet - singsong. " _I don't remember everything that happened last night but I do remember that it was really amazing and I feel strange now._ Ten minute pause. I was in the shower. _Tana is this what it's like to just have hope for things? I feel like everything's going to be okay._ Another minute pause. _Can you believe me? Can you believe what I just said? She's put a spell on me Tana. I kind of don't want it to go away._ I get out of the shower at this point and ask you for more details. _All I can remember clearly is I came a lot and she was SO nice to me. Are all girls like that?? Like all she wanted was for me to be happy and it was so weird she wouldn't even let me reciprocate. Or tap out, or really anything, she kind of just made me into a happy gooey mess and then left. I'm sad she wasn't here in the morning so I could say goodbye. Make her breakfast or something? Or would that be too homey? I just want her to know I appreciate her I guess?_ "

"Tana," Eirika whimpered, now hiding quite adamantly behind her hands. "Tana, please." 

" _I feel so refreshed,_ " Tana continued in defiance. " _I feel like I've been asleep for years and just woke up and it feels so nice. Gods I wish I could do that to myself. Do you think she'd do it again? What am I even saying? Can you believe this?_ "

"Tana," Eirika whined. 

Tana set her phone down delicately, her gaze now fixed on Eirika's as she peeked through her own fingers. "I rest my case," she crooned playfully. "You had a _blast._ Yes?"

"Yes, you've made your point!" Eirika sighed. "So! What, what did you want to talk about?"

"Well - " Tana faltered. "Hm. I kinda thought you'd want to talk about it more, from the way you were acting this morning." Yes, to be fair, Eirika was rather... giddy... about it the morning after, but she'd had some time to cool off and to really grasp what had happened, and... well... 

It just... nothing about it was... _right._ Not in a 'this is unnatural' kind of way, no, nothing like that, she'd known Tana and her various gay-ranging friends since they were both freshmen in college, she had no issue with that - it was just... this wasn't _her._ She wasn't somebody this was supposed to happen to, she had her life figured out already - the coldness of intimacy and the political chess of office work day in and day out and the simple aspiration of making a difference in the company and raising heirs to inherit whatever your legacy would turn out to be... and now... and now what? Everything could unravel around this. This could completely unmake her. Was it wrong for her to feel scared?

Not like Tana would understand any of that, Eirika thought sourly, regarding ever-bright-and-cheerful Tana with a hidden scowl. Tana, who had always allowed life to carry her forward with all the forethought and caution of a newborn bird leaping from its nest with jubilation. They had similar family backgrounds, but for Tana, the whole 'inheritance' angle was a bother and she had no intent of living up to it, so she'd gone to school for art and made a paltry fraction of Eirika's income and somehow seemed happier for it. It was like she just didn't care about what came next. So of course, Tana wouldn't understand why this was such a problem. There was nothing really to talk about. 

"So," Tana hummed, "have you thanked her yet?" 

"No," Eirika sighed. She wasn't sure she wanted to anymore. Medb also hadn't messaged her, either. 

"She messaged me last night after you finished up," Tana continued, "though obviously without any details. Just said it went well and she liked you." 

Eirika blinked. "She... what?"

"Well, you know." Tana smiled faintly. "Medb, uh... she's... she has a lot of experience, right? So, I dunno, I guess she thought you were... better than she was used to. Which honestly doesn't surprise _me_ , you've never been one to settle for whatever other people are used to, right?" 

"That's an invasion of privacy," Eirika snapped. "That she messaged you about this!"

"To let me know she got home safe after leaving your house past midnight?" Tana said dully. Eirika flushed and turned away. 

"No, I'm being defensive because I'm upset," Eirika hissed. "Sorry." 

"You really are upset," Tana agreed, crestfallen. "I - you sounded so happy this morning, Eirika. Gosh, did I do something? I feel really bad if so. I really didn't want to cut in on your vibe and all, if you just wanted to - you know, bask in it for a while, or whatever." 

And now Eirika was sad, too. Damn it. She couldn't lose sight of the meaning behind all this - Tana, and even Medb, both had just wanted Eirika to feel better, and... to their credit, she did. Even if that feeling frightened her, even if it left her shaking and afraid for what the future held, she also had so much more energy and cheer than she was used to. She felt impervious to the usual grating noise of the workplace. Simple things she'd suffered through because she thought she had to - mostly men being entitled idiots at her - she felt so much more empowered to shrug them off. 

This was a powerful feeling, definitely - but the thing is, so is cocaine, which is the stereotypical "coping method" for people in high business that Eirika had sworn to herself to never, ever, _ever ever ever_ resort to no matter _how_ successful she got. (Not that she knew from experience that Post-Orgasm High felt like Cocaine High. It just kinda made sense. Rushes of dopamine and all. She wasn't a biology major. Sue her.) 

She glanced up at Tana, withered and reserved, as Tana tried with clear concern in her eyes to find an angle to look into Eirika's face. "Hey," Tana whispered, "I'm really sorry."

"You don't have to apologize," Eirika sighed, turning forward again and slumping against the table. "I just don't know what to do now...! I do feel good! I feel really good, Tana, but that's the thing! I'm not used to this!"

"Yeah," Tana murmured, just as confused as Eirika thought she'd be. "You overwork yourself because you think you have to, and the moment you get a taste of actual relaxation and some happiness, you just... you sound totally lost."

"I was already happy!" Eirika protested. "Things were going well for me! Men had disappointed me enough that I figured I'd just wait until there was a convenient reason to get married, if at all - you know, as a business prospect, it's not so out of date -- "

"Eirika," Tana whispered, in horror - Eirika had never told her this of course, for this very reason - "You can't mean to tell me you were seriously considering like, a political marriage?" 

"I mean, it was an option," Eirika said defensively, folding her arms now. "I dunno! I just thought it would be good to keep in reserve. I figured getting distracted by... whatever romantic nonsense, when I've already tried enough mixers and whatever to know that men don't make me happy, just trying to keep fixing that as if the perfect boy would happen along somehow would just get in the way of being successful. Right?"

"That does make sense," Tana admitted, to Eirika's shock. "So I guess now that I've gone and fixed it for you, you had this whole life plan in your head and you don't know if it still holds up?"

"Yes," Eirika gasped. "Yes, that's... that's it exactly."

Tana smiled briefly, but only briefly. "See, I still know you. But, see, Eirika, I don't think anything has to change, you know? My whole policy is that you should chase what makes you happy. So if this new feeling is good, then - you should go for it! But that doesn't mean you should drop everything else you're doing too. You're not even thirty yet, you've got a lot of time to figure this stuff out, you know?"

"That's funny," Eirika murmured, "you used to be the one that freaked out about being twenty-five."

"That was years ago," Tana huffed, waving her hand dismissively; Eirika snorted. "Aw, see! You laughed! You're happy! This is good, Eirika!" 

"You say that like I haven't laughed in years or something," Eirika said warily. 

"You haven't! Not sincerely. Or like, when just _hideously_ drunk."

"Okay, I doubt that, but I'd rather not get into it." Eirika drew herself up. "So, what? You had your chance to change my life and it's happened, so..." 

Tana hesitated. "So...?"

"So now... now what?" 

"I don't know." Tana smiled weakly, clearly perplexed. "What do _you_ want, Eirika?" 

 

It wasn't like she didn't know the answer. 

She didn't really want to believe it, but there was no point to trying to hide from it. She was happier, yes. She also was daydreaming at work. About things you shouldn't think about at work. At all. And then continuing to daydream afterward, with only greater fervor in fact. 

She opened her conversation with Medb and closed it probably four times that evening, after she came home. Their last two messages haunted her. _I'm a busy woman, Medb. / So cold! I can take a hint._ It felt wrong to leave it at that. But did she really owe the other girl anything? I mean, sure, you could position this as Medb doing her a favor, but... it hadn't really been something Eirika had asked for! But Eirika had so clearly enjoyed it... 

This whole dance, having a deep feeling but trying to fight back against it - this was such an adolescent hopeless-sappy-romantic high school Eirika thing. It couldn't be a good thing that it was coming back now, right? And yet Tana's words haunted her - as did those old dreams from her youth that she thought would never be fulfilled, now... dangerously tangible, dangling frightening close to her grasp. 

What if Tana was right? What if Eirika had set herself on this loveless course as a jaded, embittered girl disillusioned with romance... and it was a mistake? 

Maybe it was giving in to temptation in some sense, but in her own mind, she justified it rather as asking an expert. If Medb had so much experience, then surely she could give a better answer than Tana could. Besides - something that stuck with her from the previous night - Medb had so very clearly wanted the best for her. That was what made it so different from every other experience Eirika had ever had... not two people blindly seeking pleasure as though harvesting it from the other person, but rather, a concerted effort entirely in Eirika's service, an act of devotion and... 

W-well... love. That's just really how it felt... 

She shook herself free of that. Best not to give voice to it. It was a rather unfortunate consequence of her own inability to decide that she only finally gave in to her curiosity when she was settling in for bed, snuggled up in her sheets with just a camisole and panties to welcome in the summer night chills. Her bedroom somehow felt desecrated, but also... lonely, and no less comfortable than before. If anything, just... emptier. 

Either way, she chose not to delay in sending her message, at least. She'd decided, so might as well go through with it now. 

_Medb. May I ask you a question, if you're available?_

Her phone was silent and still for several moments. Normally Eirika would check her email or other messages during this time, but her eyes were fixed on this screen, this one conversation, for some strange reason. Or maybe it wasn't strange at all. Maybe she was just as hopeless as before, really. 

_Eirika! I'm so delighted to hear from you again. What can I do for you?_

Eirika winced, not sure what exactly she'd expected, or why this caused her discomfort. _Um, before that, why do you say that?_

_I liked you. I thought we had good chemistry, and you seemed nice and terribly interesting. Sappy as it may be to say, you learn an awful lot about someone by fucking them, you know?_

_Strange how that is then that I know so little about you._

Why had she said that? Her fingers had hammered it out before she could even think it through, and a little tiny smile was on her lips. It evaporated with overwhelming dread as the weight of her words fully dawned on her, though, moments too late -- 

_Dear me, are you flirting?_

Eirika gulped. 

_Erm, maybe we should go back to what I was going to ask you before?_

_Eirika, if you do have something to ask, could we do it over voice? I'm a bit busy and could use the excuse to get away, and I'd just love to hear your voice again._

Eirika flushed. Why?! _Yes, I suppose. You can call me whenever you're ready._ And then she waited, for 90 breathless seconds, her heartrate now at a gallop, trying to understand just what was going on. Why had she agreed to this? Why was Medb talking to her like... like this? Complimenting her voice? It couldn't be she was being flirted with back...? 

Of course it was, because Medb wanted to fuck her again, right? That was just how this sort of thing went... _But... Eirika didn't really mind...?_

Her phone buzzed again and Eirika yelped in surprise, answering it far too hastily and mashing it up to her ear. "Hello?" 

"Eirika," Medb cried, with such earnest delight that it surprised her. She supposed she'd kind of expected something more... taunting? Sexual? Why? Medb was her own woman, right? "It's so lovely to hear from you. Everything alright on your end?" 

"Yes! Yes." Eirika fished around her nightstand for her wireless earpiece, switching to that instead so as not to have to hold her phone. She ought to have done that already, of course, but wouldn't you know it, she was too distracted! "I-It's very well, actually," she admitted, "I woke up this morning feeling... so refreshed. I... assume that's what you were going for?" 

"Well, mostly, I was going for just one really lovely evening for a woman that needed it," Medb said casually. "But I'm so happy to hear that I succeeded. Now, you've messaged me to ask something?" 

"Y-Yes, right." Eirika gulped. "You see... um..." Gods almighty she had not thought this through well at all. What was she going to say here, exactly? Did she just give up now on sounding remotely intelligent and not like a mess? 

"Eirika," Medb cooed. "You seem the sort of woman to want to always be in control of things, yes?" 

"Yes," Eirika said softly, rather surprised. "Um... I'm sorry if..."

"Don't apologize, just go ahead and ask. It's flattering to think I've left a woman of such composure and grace as you so lost for words, so don't worry that I'm going to judge you or anything." 

And Eirika was blushing again. She sighed heavily, covering her eyes. "Well, if you say so," she murmured. "It's that I'm... well... I never thought I'd feel like I did last night, and now that I've felt it, I..." She trailed off, and Medb hummed knowingly. 

"It's not something that can be taken back, isn't it?" she crooned. "Ahh, but I love that. It's like a form of enlightenment, is it? To know real pleasure for the first time."

Eirika's cheeks grew hotter still. "Medb, are you - somewhere private?" 

"Oh, yes, I've stepped outside, don't you worry." She sounded a bit dismissive, actually. "So, go on?"

"W-well," Eirika gulped, "what I'd like to ask is... you've... done this with other people before...? Presumably like me..."

"Some women were very lost before they met me," Medb agreed. "But no, I wouldn't say any of them were like you."

"T-they're not?" 

"Of course!" She could see Medb's soft, lidded-eyed smile in her mind. "Please, don't let me distract you." 

_Easier said than done!_ "Well, others, um. Have they - did they - have trouble, afterward?" Medb hummed knowingly again. "I'm sure it sounds very pedestrian to you," she continued, "but I've had so much trouble focusing on my work today, or really on much of anything..."

"Oh my," Medb purred. "Have I really had such an effect...?"

"W-well," Eirika mumbled, curling up a little. "I... y-yes!"

"What an honor," Medb dreamily sighed. "I wish I was there with you right now... I'm sure you look so very beautiful..."

"O-oh, I, ah." Eirika giggled shyly. "I-I'm not... I'm not really much to look at right now. Just... a cammy and not much else."

"But that sounds so wonderful," Medb swooned. "Accentuating your beautiful soft shoulders and showing just enough of your perfect chest to tantalize, but leaving so much to the imagination..."

"A-ah?" Eirika felt kind of hot all of a sudden. She wormed her way out of the blankets slowly. "M-Medb...?"

"Oh, are you nervous?" Medb gasped. "Please relax. I promise, just like before and always, I just want you to feel good. And I want you to believe that you really are beautiful, Eirika! And to think a little about what I might like to do if I were there..." 

"U-um...?" Eirika maybe was very flustered and very out of her comfort zone, but a dunce she was not. She knew what was happening and was trying to work up the courage to ask her to wait, but - but wouldn't she just... kill the mood, doing that? _Why was she being defensive of 'the mood'? Was she even sure she wanted this?_

"Nothing too unbecoming," Medb gasped, as if reading Eirika's thoughts. "I'm sure it would be hard for me not to admire someone as gorgeous as you, but I'd settle for stroking your cheek with my thumb, laying beside you and offering you my lips to claim if you wanted them... I want to kiss you again, Eirika, I love the feel and the taste of your lips..."

Eirika could imagine Medb's lips on hers, too. She felt a little faint. Her eyelids fluttered, as though Medb had... actually kissed her. She was breathing very heavily. Her hands were roaming on the bedsheets. She wanted this. 

"I would like that," Eirika whispered. 

She heard Medb gasp. "A hand may venture over your stomach," she breathed. "Just to hold more of your beauty in my arms, to feel the softness of your skin against mine... would you permit me to tend to other parts of you?" 

"Yes." Eirika swallowed. "I'd like that too." 

"Is your neck sensitive?" Eirika craned her neck to the side, her eyes slipping closed. "I would treat it with such delicate care if I could, but I don't know if I could restrain my desire to feel your skin under my lips. I might even bite a little..." Eirika gasped, her shoulders tensing. She thought Medb was breathing faster, too. "Would you allow me to tend to your chest?" Eirika nodded, then remembered she had to answer yes, and she did. "Would you allow me to wet them with my tongue, to taste the rise and fall of your breaths..." 

"Yes," Eirika whimpered. "Yes, Medb, I want you to do that." She clenched her fingers around her right breast, moaning as silently as she could manage. 

"There's somewhere else I'd like to taste," Medb whispered hotly, and Eirika sunk her free hand gladly into her panties. 

"Please," Eirika pleaded. 

"You taste so good, Eirika," Medb moaned. "I love the scent and sweetness of your desire on my lips... I can't get enough of it..." Eirika whimpered - now covering her mouth while she pleasured herself, unsure entirely whether or not she wanted Medb to hear her. Regardless Medb seemed to know. "I can feel you writhing on the bed," she whined. "I'm holding on to you and your perfect taste but I can feel your tension rising, and I dig deeper into you looking for ever more of your sweet nectar, I'm greedy, Eirika, I'm ravenous, I can't get enough of you - " 

Eirika squeaked - 

"Yes," Medb moaned, "yes...! That's it, that perfect flavor of your ecstasy, I can feel it on my tongue just now...!" 

\- and Eirika moaned, her resolve shattered, her body arching and locking in place, shaking as a powerful orgasm shot through her - until she slumped back on the bed, panting, wide-eyed, amazed and horrified and absolutely bewildered. 

"Oh," Medb sighed, "oh, I enjoyed that immensely. What of you, Eirika...? Did you like that?" 

Eirika didn't know what to say. She had no response for a situation like this, and in substitute of her total lack of composure and preparation, she could only speak her feelings. She whimpered and said, "Please come to me, Medb...!"

"You have no idea how much I wish I could," Medb pined. "Oh, Eirika, how I long for you tonight! But our secret little dream will have to do for now."

"For now?"

"Maybe tomorrow night we'll do it for real...?" 

Wait! Eirika gasped. "I- o-oh, I - "

"Oh, does that not work for you?" Medb seemed crestfallen. "I'm just so eager, Eirika. I want you. Don't you?"

"W-Well," Eirika gulped, "we, I - o-oh, I - I'm sorry, I don't know what I feel, I'm - "

"It's just fine," Medb promised. "I need to go back inside. But Eirika - Eirika, secret lover of mine. I'll be ready to sweep you away again tomorrow, if you like. If you need to back out, I won't be hurt, I promise. Just say the word, and I'll give you the space you need or the love that you crave. I'll do anything you desire." 

Eirika gulped. "O-Okay," she whispered. "T-Thank you, Medb... G-good night...!" 

"Good night, my sweet Eirika," Medb whispered back. She hung up. 

Eirika stared blanky at her ceiling, awash in every feeling imaginable and then some. 

She hadn't made herself come in years. What the fuck just happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all I've got finished for now. So future updates will be unpredictable. But this is fun to write, so we'll see!


	3. Chapter 3

For most of her life Eirika had just assumed that to say your "life was turned upside-down" was just a metaphor. It symbolized utter chaos and displacement in one's day-to-day. And that was apt for what Eirika was feeling, certainly, but she hadn't ever imagined that she would literally feel like everything had flipped over so suddenly. 

See, Eirika was used to having no identity past about 6:00pm. She woke in the morning, groomed and dressed herself, reviewed her myriad activity trackers and to-do lists to form a plan for the day, and then she executed on that plan throughout the morning and afternoon. She was only really fully alive during the work day, and after that point, she didn't really clearly remember what she did with herself. Check her email a lot? Review random conversations in her texting history, 95% of which were either work-related or Tana. Made herself dinner, usually with delivered ingredients - she'd justified the subscription to the ingredient delivery service by claiming she didn't have enough time, but now that she thought about it she wasn't really sure what she was doing with all that time in the evening. She just kind of figured she only had enough energy in her to last for half the day.

Not even half a week ago, that had somehow changed. She started remembering her nights. Very vividly, in fact. And she started having trouble keeping track of her work days. 

Maybe some other force was at work here. She couldn't remember any of what she'd done this afternoon, but maybe that had to do with Medb's lips between her breasts, humming with a hypnotic contentment as her tongue traced the line of her cleavage. Or the softness of Medb's skin under her fingers, her arms wrapped tightly around Medb's shoulders and digging into her slender frame looking for purchase. I mean, anyone would have trouble thinking in a situation like this, right? 

Except for loveless Old Eirika, for whom sex was an exchange, rather than... whatever Medb was doing to her now... 

Medb nuzzled further into the space between Eirika's breasts, gazing up at her with such earnest lust in her expression that Eirika hadn't ever felt before. It didn't feel like Medb wanted Eirika's body, it felt like she wanted _Eirika_ , like she somehow wanted to make love to Eirika's very soul itself. Everything she did was paralyzing, pushing the bounds of Eirika's belief and composure until she snapped and couldn't restrain herself anymore, and that moment was rapidly approaching now. 

"You're just as wonderful as I remember," Medb blissfully sighed, wetly kissing the skin in front of her. "Your beauty is a cure for all ailments, Eirika."

See - what are you supposed to say to that?! Are you supposed to do anything!? Eirika gulped, searching desperately for something in her mind to reply with, some compliment to pay to Medb, but she didn't have the capacity to say anything so serene and romantic - what a hopeless lover she made! "I-I can barely think with you tending me like this," she gasped, managing to make it sound vaguely like a laugh. "I'm so lost..." 

Medb chuckled, kissing her way up Eirika's nape and just under her chin, raising her hands to gently push Eirika backwards and Eirika agreeably fell onto the bed beneath her. Medb hovered over her with that alluring expression, that faint little smile, whispering; "You don't need to think, Eirika. Just feel." 

And, well, she was probably right, wasn't she? 

"I feel so much," Eirika whimpered. 

Medb tilted her head curiously. "Is it bad?" Eirika shook her head fervently. "I understand, Eirika. It's too much for words. People like you are used to being able to see and understand things all at once. But this is too beautiful to be appreciated so easily, isn't it?" She smiled, kissing Eirika's lips daintily; Eirika only barely restrained herself from arching up to try to keep the kiss going, surprised by the chasteness of it. "Close your eyes," Medb instructed, and Eirika did so, now guided only by the heat of the room and Medb's voice above her. "Let me guide you. And please don't try to take it all in at once... I'll bring you back to this place as often as you like." 

 

It was Friday. Eirika was meeting Ephraim for coffee. She hadn't seen him since he'd flown overseas over a year ago to manage another branch of the family business. Of course, naturally, as the "heir", Ephraim didn't have to work his way through the company manually, but truth be told she had a hard time getting too riled up about that; Ephraim spoke often of how much he admired her and her drive, and how she'd certainly make a better executive officer than he would. And, honestly, he was right. Ephraim's strength was in sales and PR, really. Eirika was better with the execution. 

The dinky little holes in the wall where she and Tana met were hardly enough for such a meeting as between the Renais twins. (This had somewhat less to do with their relative wealth, and more to do with Ephraim's love of theatrics.) Adjacent to their headquarters building was a "Skyview Cafe" that he so loved to visit, and though Eirika found it rather tacky - particularly the name - she had no right to deny him the indulgence after so long away. 

He was waiting for her just outside the elevator bay - he spread his arms and grinned, no words necessary, and she smiled brightly and embraced him. "You've gotten bigger!" she gasped, as he stepped away. 

"I haven't," Ephraim laughed. "It's your imagination."

"Oh, well, I suppose that just means I miss my brother's hugs." 

They took their seats, made their orders, and were left to their own relative quiet; Eirika asked first after his trip, posing under the pretense of it being a business conversation as one does. The cafe was a bit too expensive for her to use her own card on, unless she absolutely had to. Ephraim played along nicely, relaying that the "eastern front" was building up nicely, business was doing well, new leadership felt empowered and they had a great plan the next five years of growth. "They've done well for themselves," he finished. "I hardly had to be there at all."

"I'm sure if I were to ask them myself I'd get a very different answer," Eirika chuckled, twisting her mug idly in both hands before her. "You've always had a knack for people, brother. I'm glad you've found so much success at this."

"Well, you know how father took it, when I finally made the decision." He sighed, briefly looking outside the window. "I'm just not cut out for it," he murmured. "I'm glad he was willing to believe in me, but it was hard to let him down."

"Of course," Eirika agreed, soothingly. "You're a good son, it's natural to want to live up to his expectations. But you're doing more good for the company now than I think you ever would by acting as an executive in his place."

"I like to believe that, yeah." He smiled back at her now. "It's nice to get a second opinion, though."

"I'll provide one anytime," Eirika cooed, smiling broadly. "So, I can tell you're itching to tell me more. We've gotten through the boring part, how was the trip?"

"Ah, there's way too much to talk about," Ephraim sighed. "Are you busy tonight? I hadn't confirmed yet, but I was hoping to find some time in Father's schedule to have dinner, and we could talk more about it then."

"Oh, I would love to," Eirika gasped, pretending not to have planned for this very thing to happen. "Well, alright, you can save the majority of it for tonight, but - vague impressions? Favorite parts?"

"It's definitely very interesting being part of another culture," Ephraim hummed. "The people there were very kind, if a bit chaotic. Office politics are much more relaxed there, but at the same time, for a while it felt like everyone was taking things a bit too lax, you know? Maybe that's just you rubbing off on me." 

"Hmm." Eirika turned her head. "Would that be a compliment, or...?" 

"Well, it has its ups and downs," Ephraim laughed. "But, really, how have things been here at home? Are you and Tana still close? Have you made any other friends like I keep saying you should?"

"Tana and I are still very close, yes," Eirika agreed. At that moment, though, someone drifted up to their table, and Eirika turned her attention to them instead, eager not to have to answer the second part of that question. 

Maybe she shouldn't have been. 

"Oh, Eirika!" The girl before them beamed, as Eirika's eyes tracked from her tights-clad thighs up past the pinstripe vest and tie to see... of all people, _Medb._ "I almost didn't recognize you in that suit!" she cried with delight. "You're positively radiant this morning, do you know that?"

"Uhhh." Eirika became aware she was panicking. She thought, wildly, that everyone in the room surely could see her sweating. "H-Hi! I... wow, I didn't know you worked here, um..."

"Oh, do you two know each other?" Ephraim said curiously, ever the innocent dunce, and Medb turned to him to answer before Eirika could stop her. 

"Ah yes! Tana introduced us." Medb nodded behind her; Eirika dimly recognized some of the figures talking near the entrance - a cluster of VPs from another industry, but she'd met some of them at local dinners and such before. Names weren't coming to her; Medb was too close. "Admin assistant," Medb said dismissively. "Pays well, keeps me busy. And who might you be? You two could be twins, you look so alike!"

"Well, actually," Ephraim chuckled, smirking at her, and Medb gasped. 

"You never told me you bad a twin brother!" Medb cried. 

"Well, to be fair," Eirika mumbled, "we tend not to talk too much about me." 

And taking this excellently in stride, Medb nodded sagely. "Tana does seem to hog the conversation to herself, doesn't she? But now I'm curious how much more I don't know about you! We'll have to team up to shush her sometimes." She turned back to Ephraim with a little curtsy. "Well, it's lovely to meet you, ah..."

"Ephraim." He inclined his head. "You as well?"

"Oh, Medb," she giggled. "That's Emm-Ee-Dee-Bee, not 'Maythe' or whatever else. Celtic name. Very fond of it." 

"I must say I am as well," Ephraim hummed. "It's wonderful to meet you, Medb." Medb curtsied again, waved delicately to Eirika, and then sashayed on her way; Ephraim turned back to her, smiling warmly. "Well," he chuckled, "it seems you've made at least one other friend, then. That's good to hear!"

"Yes," Eirika said quietly, doing her damnedest to maintain his gaze and pretend that her face was not _burning_ red. "Yes, I suppose it is good." 

 

_Eirika, I long for thee._

_I'm busy, Medb, I'm sorry._

_Oh, dear! I've been replaced!_

_No, I went to dinner with brother and father, and brother is now telling us all about his trip overseas._

_Oh! That's lovely. But what a surprise, running into you and your brother this morning!_

_Yes, I was certainly rather shocked._

_You certainly are adorable when you're flustered!_

 

_Oh, Eirika, have I upset you?_

_I just don't have anything to say to that. I'm glad you think I'm cute, I guess._

_Were you afraid I'd give us away? I would never, Eirika. Your secret is safe with me!_

_I just don't know about all of this. I'm sitting here with my family like nothing is wrong, but I feel like I'm not the same person they remember, and it's all happened so suddenly I didn't have any time to think about it._

_Aww, you don't need to feel like that! Just because you've discovered something new about yourself doesn't mean that you're fundamentally different as a person. You still love them, don't you? Erm, assuming you got along well with them to start with._

_Yes, I do love them. I'm very happy to see Ephraim again._

_Then that's what matters. You're still their sister and daughter and all. Right?_

_Well... yes, but I keep looking at my phone to message you._

_Oh. I can leave you alone. I just enjoy your company so much._

_I enjoy yours, too._

 

_Why aren't you messaging me back?_

_I didn't want to get between you and your family!_

 

_You certainly are spending a long time typing._

_I keep getting interrupted by my family lol. They're very confused. I told them that there's something going on related to work, but now they want to know what it is._

_Oh my gosh was that a lol? Did you just lol at me?_

_Erm, I'm sorry if that... was unexpected?_

_Forgive me but I wouldn't have ever expected it! You're so taciturn and businesslike._

_What has Tana told you about me?! I'm human! I laugh at things!_

_Until I hear it, I'm afraid I'm going to have to remain a skeptic._

_I think you're just trying to get under my skin now._

_Awww. Was it working at least?!_

_...A little. I think I have to go home now, I can't stop smiling and they're going to think that's even weirder._

_Oh, oh! If you're going home..._

_Don't get any funny ideas!! I need time to prepare!!_

_Awwww. I like spontaneous lovemaking though._

_You're a very bad influence and you're going to be the death of me._

_I think 'bad influence' is quite relative. Fine, then! Tomorrow?_

_When?_

_My schedule's very open, I don't have any important plans. Do you?_

_Well, Tana and I usually have lunch on Saturdays..._

_Why don't we meet for dinner, then?_

_That sounds good to me. I'm looking forward to it._

_Come on, give me a little more emotion than that!_

_Ahem. That sounds great! I'm looking forward to it :)_

_Okay that felt a little odd, but I'll take it!_

_I was trying to be sincere :(_

_Oh dear, what have I done?_

 

Tana frowned, drumming her fingers on the table as she scrutinzed the carefully selected screenshot that Eirika had showed her. Eirika had not expected her to react so sourly to the news that she and Medb had a date. 

"That does _sound_ like a date," Tana admitted quietly, setting her phone down again. 

"What do you mean?" Eirika folded her arms. "What, you don't trust me?" 

"You, I trust absolutely," Tana hummed, raising her eyebrows. "But I don't trust Medb that much, and I don't think you should either."

"What are you talking about?" Eirika balked. "You set me up with her!" Tana winced and shrugged; Eirika sighed and rolled hr eyes. "Well, naturally, I'm taking the standard precautions regardless. You'll know where I'm going now, so I'll at least have someone on standby..."

"You should tell your brother," Tana said seriously. 

"I can't," Eirika replied immediately, paling instantly. "Do you realize what this would mean to my family if they found out about it?! Ephraim would never let me live it down and father - " She shook her head emphatically. "After brother announced he wasn't going to take over the company I was all father had left, and if he feels like my attention is slipping -- "

"Eirika, it's just a date," Tana said slowly, though nothing about her tone sounded remotely reassuring. "What are you thinking? You're not seriously considering, like... a relationship, with Medb?" 

"That's why you go on dates with people, generally," Eirika retorted, folding her arms. She felt hot and cold and out of breath and like she needed to run. She felt miserable, altogether. 

"Eirika," Tana sighed, setting Eirika's phone down and burying her face in her hands for a moment. It was kind of horrific to watch - Eirika wasn't sure she'd ever seen Tana look so stressed about... _anything_. 

"You were the one that suggested this," Eirika growled. "Why are you acting like this now? Isn't this what you wanted?"

"Eirika, it's not that simple," Tana said weakly, sliding her hands off her face again. "Medb isn't exactly the kind of girl to... uh... settle down." 

"W-well, yes, perhaps," Eirika said, "but that doesn't mean I can't try, does it?"

"Eirika," Tana said, deadpan.

"You're reading her messages!" Eirika added angrily. "You agreed with me it sounds like a date, right? She doesn't exactly hide her feelings, you know. I know that she..." She flushed and swallowed. "She feels something special for me," she finished, a little more shyly but still very firm. "What more must I do to justify myself?" 

"Eirika," Tana said again, more despairing now. "Eirika, look, Medb... Medb is just... _like_ this. I don't know for sure what's going through her head, but you and she are completely different people. I don't think she's looking at this the same way you are." 

"But she..." Eirika couldn't remember her exact wording, but she knew for sure - she clearly remembered - Medb saying something to her like, 'you're not like the others.' "She's already told me that she feels something special for me," she protested. "Or, something close enough to that. I don't know! But that's why you go on dates, right? To feel this kind of thing out?"

"Well, yes," Tana sighed, "I'm just saying, try not to get your hopes up, okay? Medb already really isn't your type. She's someone that can show you what you were missing, sure, but I really don't think she's like... I don't think she'd ever want to be The One to somebody, you know? You can do way better than her." 

"Let me decide that," Eirika snapped. 

"Look," Tana growled, "I'm not trying to tell you what to do, okay? I get it, you're a big girl who's used to making big decisions. Hell, you probably make bigger decisions on a daily basis than I make in six months. I get that, alright? But this isn't your area of expertise. It's mine. So I'm trying to advise you, as your mentor, and I'm warning you now that if you're looking for something serious from Medb, you're setting yourself up to be disappointed." 

"What was the point of all of this, then?" Eirika sighed despairingly. "She's the only person that's ever gotten to me like this, Tana! I know that this feeling is what I was looking for as a girl, back when I was still all silly, sappy romantic poems and pining and whatever other immature nonsense. I know that it's real now. But Medb's the only person that's ever given it to me, how can you tell me now that I should back it off?"

"Medb is ALSO the only woman you've ever had sex with," Tana said pointedly, folding her arms. "You're new to this, Eirika, so you're making rookie mistakes, and I'm trying to help you get out of them before you get hurt. The first time always seems like you'll never find anything better, but then you do. _Yes_ , some people do find their perfect partner on their first try, but I'm telling you right now, that's _not_ Medb. Okay?"

"I don't understand how you can say that with such confidence." Eirika shook her head, folding her own arms across from her. "You think you know better than both of us, do you?" 

"No, Eirika," Tana sighed angrily, "Medb is _dangerous._ Okay? Medb plays by her own rules. What sounds like a date to you could be anything to her. Yes, you could be right, it could be possible that she's genuinely romantically interested in you, but I've known her almost as long as I've known you and she's been through a _lot_ of women that thought they stood a chance with her." 

"They weren't me," Eirika said stubbornly.

"No, they weren't," Tana agreed, "but - "

"I'm not just _some woman,_ " Eirika snapped. "Inexperienced, perhaps. But naive? Simple-minded? Weak of heart? What sort of simpleton do you take me for? Do you really think I'm the kind of idiot that would fall for a trap so easily? Do you think I wouldn't - " 

"Medb isn't just _some woman,_ either!" Tana cried. "She breaks hearts for breakfast, Eirika! She lives off of being pined for! She's just building you up so she can stoke her own ego and feel powerful for having a 'toy' as wealthy and influential as you! She doesn't have any real investment in you!" 

"For being her friend," Eirika whispered, "that's an awfully callous thing to say about her, don't you think?"

"But it's true!" 

"You can't know that." Eirika, now shaking, pushed herself up from the table and snatched her purse away from the back of the chair, allowing the sharpness of her movements to speak to her anger. "You've said your piece," she growled. "You know where I'll be tonight, so gods forbid if anything happens, I'll expect to be able to rely on you." 

Tana had an expression of growing horror on her face. "Y-Yes," she gasped, "Eirika, of course - I'm just trying to - "

"Enough." Eirika silenced her with a wave of her hand. "I've heard enough from you. We'll talk tomorrow."


	4. Chapter 4

Eirika hadn't ever snapped at Tana like that. She didn't know herself to get that angry. Not since she was a teenager, anyway. 

It made her a little uncomfortable, honestly, but no more than any of the other intense feelings she'd had over the last several days, and with each passing moment her irritation with Tana was being overtaken with her anticipation for dinner. Even stronger than that, though, even stronger than the vague anxiety that came along with seeing Medb again - particularly in public - was her excitement to prove herself. This would be a defining moment in whatever came next, a chance for Eirika to assume control and assert herself. Up until now, her only real interactions with Medb had been banter, foreplay, or sex. This was their chance to show more of their true selves to one another. Eirika had a lot to show. 

One of the first things you learn about life in the working world is that the power of a strong first impression can never be overstated. It was important not to come across as overbearing, but to also very clearly set the tone for what Medb should expect in the relationship; here Eirika was briefly stymied, torn between a suit or a dress. The former would be very much like her, but would also establish a certain... distance, a coldness, that Eirika wasn't sure was really appropriate. Part of the goal here was to open herself up to Medb, and to suggest that Medb should feel comfortable doing the same. At the same time, however, she didn't have many dresses that weren't made to look vulnerable - sacrifices one makes while their career is still young - and she didn't really want to look like Medb needed to protect her, either. Eirika wanted to demonstrate independence and control. 

She settled on a mix - a white blouse and a dark red blazer jacket, as well as a matching pleated skirt that went down to her knees. She'd take off the jacket once they sat at dinner to talk, naturally, so that would give her a sense of openness - but the first impression, that very first moment, should be pretty powerful and inspiring. So she hoped, anyway. 

She'd already worked out a destination with Medb in advance - Medb's taste was surprisingly carnivorous, but Eirika found a happy middle ground in seafood, and Medb seemed delighted by that. There was a particular restaurant Eirika had been to once before, with a gorgeous view of the harbor at night; thanks the affluence of her name and a few sweet words, she easily convinced their staff to reserve a table by the window, so that part she was quite confident about. All that was left to actually get to the restaurant. 

Which, unfortunately, Medb had insisted on arranging. Eirika correctly guessed that this meant a limousine. She personally wasn't really fond of them - they were a bit too flashy - but if that's what Medb wanted, then fine. 

Eirika was waiting when they pulled up to her lot; the back door sprang open, Medb evidently not realizing that part of the point was that the chaffeur was supposed to open the doors _for_ you, and all at once she sprang out and gestured theatrically wide with a beaming smile to match. She was dressed a bit... oddly... compared to Eirika's expectations, and she realized with a shock they'd make a very strange pair: Eirika in a skirted suit, but Medb with a strapless top, miniskirt, garters holding up netted stockings, and lovely felt gloves, all shrouded with a flowing fur-trimmed coat - and all a rather flamboyant shade of pink. 

"Eirika!" she cried. "Oh, you're positively stunning tonight. I love it!" 

"You're looking quite striking yourself," Eirika managed, though she really ought to have just committed to a fake compliment instead of trying to be honest; either way Medb seemed very amused, twirling in place to let her coat flutter around her. 

"Striking," she cooed. "I couldn't have said it better myself! That's just how I like to be." 

"It suits you," Eirika said kindly, pleasantly comfortable leaving it at that sentiment. 

Medb was a chatterbox for the entire ride to the docks, which surprised Eirika exactly none, being honest. She asked Eirika about work first, but switched subjects in a hurry as though only asking to be polite; she was much more interested in Eirika's relationship with Tana, and with her brother and father. Eirika was still talking about Ephraim's fateful decision to step down as the company heir when they arrived; they were shown to their table without delay, a server relieved them of their coats, and they made themselves comfortable before continuing. 

"That must have been hard on both of you," Medb said softly. Her eyes shone brilliantly still, but the smile had slowly faded from her cheeks, replaced with a muted sort of reverence. "That means you're the heir, then?" 

"I think Father was hoping we would take joint leadership," Eirika clarified. She ensured her posture was straight, her hands clasped delicately on the table in front of her, just a hint of a smile on her lips. "But this way, Ephraim's clearly much happier, and I think he's in a better position to contribute to the business than if we'd tried to occupy the same seat."

"And a powerful, self-assured woman such as yourself can hold things down on her own," Medb finished, leaning back with a sly, brief smile. "Of course, I knew some about you already. Anyone that works with anyone important in this city knows about the Renais family."

"Naturally," Eirika said graciously. "I don't like to make a big deal out of it, personally. Father asked us both to earn our way to our positions, and that's what we've done."

"Oh, is that so?" Medb seemed intrigued. "That's rather unusual, I would think. But I suppose it's smart! Ensure the both of you know the business top to bottom before taking over the show, I guess that's the idea?" Eirika nodded in agreement; they paused, as a waiter drifted by to deliver their glasses of wine. "So you clearly take your work very seriously, don't you?" 

"I do," Eirika agreed, her smile growing just slightly. "I've no intent to let my father down." 

"RBT is a very influential business," Medb hummed. "It's a lot to live up to." 

"I'm up to the task," Eirika said coolly. 

"I've no doubt," Medb agreed, her grin briefly baring fangs. "What more could a woman want for? Power, money, and a good family, right?" 

Eirika hesitated. Medb looked to be on somewhat low guard, still leaning back and grinning, watching Eirika with a clear interest but also seeming more invested in her theatrics than Eirika's answer. Still... this was just such a good moment, and Eirika wasn't really one to want to beat around the bush; given Medb's rather talkative nature, maybe sooner was better than later in this case. 

"Well, there's certainly one thing," Eirika hummed knowingly. Medb giggled, clearly quick on the uptake. 

"Ah, but you have that now, too, don't you?" She swirled her glass delicately, peering over its rim before sipping. "I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone that wouldn't be jealous of you." 

"How very modest of you," Eirika said dryly, still smiling, and Medb laughed more earnestly at that. 

"Trust me," she crooned, "I'm most certainly _not_ known for my modesty. But, what, are you going to challenge that? Do you think you could do better than me?"

"Ah, well," Eirika said, faltering briefly - but thankfully her thoughts arranged themselves again, giving her another chance to approach the subject she'd intended: "It's not so much that I've any complaints about you, as it is that - as I understand it - I'm far from your first catch. Yes?"

"Oh, dear." Medb sighed heavily, leaning forward again. "Alright, tell me what Tana told you. Go on." 

Eirika couldn't help but laugh. "So you expected this!" she cooed. "She wasn't very pleased to learn that we had a date planed."

"Oh, well there you have it," Medb huffed. "She's jealous, Eirika, but I've known Tana quite a while - she'll be just fine, I know it. She cares about you a lot, you know." 

"She does," Eirika sighed, smiling gratefully. In spite of this, in spite of how nice their conversation was, it was getting a little frustrating how easily Medb just deflected even any _attempt_ to discuss their relationship - Eirika was beginning to feel that she might have to get direct, and again decided that sooner, rather than later, would be best: "I admit, I'm a little troubled by the implication that you'd be seeing other people..." 

"Oh," Medb gasped. "Ohhhhhh. That's what this is about, hm? You want me all to yourself?" 

"Well, that doesn't seem unreasonable to ask," Eirika said, a little blankly. 

"No, no, of course it's not," Medb agreed, tenting her fingers. "It's like this, Eirika - I don't get into things just to drop them again once I've finished. Humans aren't toys. It's true that I've helped many women like yourself to an awakening, if you will - and I don't intend to just let them flounder in the dark, one and done, nothing like that. You understand?"

"I suppose," Eirika said slowly, admittedly unsure where she was going with this. "But I'm not the same as them, am I?"

"Oh, well _clearly_ not," Medb scoffed, gesturing around. "Eirika, come now. What sort of monster do you think I am? No, no - you absolutely take priority! You've captured my heart's attention, Eirika, and I'm very happy to focus on you and only you." 

"Well, that's reassuring," Eirika said, laughing a little shyly. "And rather romantic, as well. How can you say something like that with such a straight face?" 

"I'm just saying what I feel," Medb said innocently, as if taken aback to be called romantic. "Tana told me you were romantic once, too. You'd like a little more of that, I take it?"

"I would," Eirika agreed, her voice soft now. "Very much." Medb smiled sweetly. 

"I think I can understand your feelings," she said softly. "You poor thing - Tana probably made me sound like some kind of barbarian, and you were afraid you'd be just another conquest left behind. No, no, no, Eirika... it's not like that with anyone, but _especially_ not with you."

Eirika thought maybe she understood, too. She cleared her throat, and Medb raised her eyebrows, a silent invitation to speak. So Eirika added: "You just like to share your love with people a bit more freely than some." Medb nodded with delight, and Eirika lidded her eyes and continued. "But I'm not the kind of woman to just accept such a gift without being ready to reciprocate."

"No, no, of course not," Medb agreed, beaming. "Well, Eirika, there you have it - does that reassure you?" 

"As long as we are on the same page," Eirika said, inclining her head a bit. "I'm not trying to get you to commit to anything up front... we'll just see where things go." 

"Isn't that what we've already been doing?" Medb tilted her head. Eirika chuckled. 

"Yeah, I guess it is." She straightened up again. "Well, I've talked an awful lot about myself - can I ask about you?" 

"Oh, of course you can," Medb giggled. "But be warned, once I get going... well..."

"Oh, please," Eirika laughed. "I doubt you could be much worse than Tana." 

Medb laughed, too. "That's true, you have experience with our type already," she cooed playfully. "Okay, well - where shall I start? How about where I met Tana?" 

 

Despite her warning, Medb proved an incredibly pleasant conversant, now that Eirika's imminent anxiety had been resolved. She seemed so earnestly delighted any time Eirika had something to pitch in that Eirika found herself actively searching for ways to involve herself - at first with jokes, thinking maybe her wine was getting to her (and that was the point of drinking the wine, of course), but then later sharing her own anecdotes about when she and Tana were still in college, of the parties Tana would drag her to and the way Eirika would keep her out of trouble with the staff. They ate slowly, and laughed together very often. 

Eirika would admit that she hadn't indulged many friendships except for Tana, since she'd graduated and started working full-time. When she spent time with Tana, it was decidedly as a caretaker - a watcher, an indulger, someone who was there for Tana's benefit because Eirika... well, she liked for Tana to be happy. And Tana seemed so attached to her, and it was... flattering. And admittedly, when constant concession and bowing of one's head became too tiring to bear in the workplace Tana was more than happy to let Eirika vent to her, and that was valuable, too. There was nothing wrong with her friendship with Tana, she would swear by that - and yet Medb was so totally different, and so much... _better._

She spoke with Medb as an equal. She would have sworn they should have had very little - if anything - in common, but they spoke as though longtime friends already. 

Eirika lost track of time. Their plates were taken away, they were brought a second glass of wine, but Eirika wasn't sure in which order - they just sort of happened. She was engrossed, listening to Medb, watching Medb smile, watching her eyes glitter with the distant lights of the harbor. She'd made her demonstration, gotten her answer, and now allowed herself just to relax, immersed in Medb's charming presence. 

"Thank you for coming today," she said blissfully, when they finally found themselves in a soft, comfortable pause. 

"Oh, Eirika," Medb sighed, "I've had a wonderful time, there's no need to thank me. Though - surely, you don't mean that our time together is almost finished...?" 

"Oh?" Eirika smiled faintly. "Whatever do you mean?" 

"Well," Medb mused, "perhaps it's childish of me, but whenever I go somewhere nice like this, I do like to reserve some time for... dessert." 

Now, to anyone that happened to catch their conversation at a distance, Medb's emphasis on 'dessert' might come across a little weird, but Eirika completely didn't notice it - because in time with the word 'dessert', Eirika became aware that Medb had stretched out her leg to rest her stocking-clad foot on Eirika's bench, squarely between her legs - poking her big toe at Eirika's nethers, seeking a reaction. Eirika squeaked as quietly as she could, turning brilliant red and then looking away, trying to hide her expression. 

"What are you doing?" she gasped. 

Medb blinked, innocently surprised, though her foot stopped. "Do you mind?" she asked calmly. "I'm a very dessert-minded person, I guess. Is that bad?"

Eirika stared at her for a moment. Medb clearly had stopped because of Eirika's protest, but her foot hadn't moved. Eirika could just push her foot down and be done with it. But she absolutely didn't want to do that. She was shocked and afraid, definitely, but - to her own surprise - she wasn't... upset, at all. In fact, she... 

...The butterflies in her stomach suggested she was... _excited._

Could Medb really finish her... like this? Now that Medb had found purchase in her... Eirika wondered if she just wanted to see how far she could push her influence over Eirika, and honestly, if so... Eirika wanted to know, too. 

"No, it's not," Eirika said after a moment, glancing around for the dessert menu, attempting to look and sound as innocent and clueless as possible. She shifted her hips forward, accidentally grazing against Medb's toes again and shivering - Medb understood immediately and began feeling around her crotch, before finding the section of skin she wanted; with a smug smile Medb sunk her big toe through Eirika's panties and between her lips, drawing another tiny shudder and a shaking gasp from the otherwise now-stonefaced Eirika. 

"I'll have to ask a waiter for one," Eirika said conversationally, doing her best to keep her voice from shaking. Medb nodded agreement. 

"I've been a bad influence on you," Medb observed, dragging her toe lazily up and down Eirika's slit. "You didn't used to be a dessert sort of girl, did you?"

"Well," Eirika hummed, "most things I tried just weren't really for me, I think." Medb nodded sagely, pressing her toe firmly into Eirika's clit now - Eirika squeaked and jumped again. 

"You're getting worked up," Medb observed coyly. 

"A-At this rate, I won't be able to enjoy my dessert," Eirika replied, pouting. Medb was not letting up, and the devilish little chuckle she gave in reply indicated that she didn't intend to any time soon. 

It was Medb who had the composure to flag down a waiter for the dessert menu, and she didn't waste any time at all - swiftly ordering two tiramisus before the waiter could leave them, and then resuming her torture. Eirika lasted through the wait for the desserts to be brought, but only a bite or two into it was all she could manage, before she had to set down her fork and grip the table to keep from moaning. Even as it was, she was flush and hot and panting, sweat beading on her forehead, as Medb now toyed with her with both feet and a very, very satisfied expression on her face. 

"All done up like this," Medb whispered, timing her breaths with her footstrokes, "looking as beautiful as can be, so immersed in pleasure - I don't know if there's ever a sight more beautiful, and only I know to look for it." 

"M-Medb," Eirika whispered hotly - maybe she meant to tell her to shut up, but she didn't really have the strength to follow through, especially after watching Medb's face light up with lustful joy. She squeezed her eyes shut, her hips shaking and her thighs clamping together suddenly around Medb's feet - the only indicator anyone around them might have had was Eirika's sharp intake of breath... but otherwise her composure held. 

Well, no. She was tired, painted red, sweaty and shaking. She was sure that if anyone had glanced over at them at any point they knew what Medb was doing to her, and that made her feel so very, very dirty. It made her afraid she might've been seen. But, as she looked Medb in the face, swallowing and smiling weakly, and as Medb smiled back without any of that smugness or haughtiness from before, just glad to see Eirika's smile - or perhaps covering very, very well - in that moment, she also felt... very bizarrely excited. 

 

Medb called for their ride right away, so when Eirika had finished wolfing down her tiramisu and they scurried outside together, the limousine was waiting for them. Eirika quickly understood why Medb preferred travel by limo, as the smaller girl quickly swivelled into her lap and locked lips with her; for a few moments they kissed, but then Medb wormed her hand under Eirika's skirt and panties. 

"Do you mind coming back to my place?" Medb breathed, her voice low and husky, as Eirika strained and squirmed to thrust her hips in time with Medb's fingers, so hot and short of breath she almost felt faint. 

"W-wha?" Eirika gasped. Oh, what an invitation - ! "No," she gasped, "I - do you mean it?" 

"I can't get enough of you," Medb whined, nuzzling into her shoulder, her tongue snaking up Eirika's neck, drawing a poorly-restrained moan out of her throat. "Oh, Eirika, I won't be satisfied unless I can be yours tonight, please - !" 

"Yes," Eirika gasped, "yes, I'll - I'll come back with you - "

Medb didn't finish her that way; once she'd gotten her answer she dropped to the cab floor and hoisted Eirika's legs over her shoulder, diving in for a 'dessert' of her own. Her tongue had assaulted Eirika's senses often enough now that she knew, weakened as she was, she'd last only moments; all she could do was steel herself and clamp a hand over her mouth to try to keep her voice down, as Medb reduced her to a quivering melty mess. 

Her reprieve lasted only for a little while. After the feeling of light-headed stuffiness from the limo, the night air felt like a kiss of life, and Medb's fingers threading eagerly through hers and leading her onwards filled her with warmth that pushed back the chill breeze tickling her exposed, dampened skin. Awareness came back to her, but only barely, and only for a few moments. Enough to register that Medb lived in an apartment, somewhere upscale, somewhere close to downtown - possibly even not so far from Eirika's home. Enough to register the very well-to-do lobby, barren though it was at this hour of night; enough to register the posh decor and the rather extravagant elevator interior - but then that was it, because as soon as the doors had slipped closed Medb pinned her firmly against the elevator wall and kissed her thoughts away again, her hands roaming freely, taking hold of anything they liked, Eirika eagerly offering as much of herself as she could. 

There was another moment of lucidty that came to Eirika as they stumbled out of the elevator, what felt like a full day later. This one, however, felt sharper; her instincts were on edge now, possibly because of the enclosed space or the unfamiliarity, possibly because of the proximity to a point of seeming no return. "W-Wait," she gasped; Medb giggled, turning around playfully but still pulling Eirika along, a broad (fanged...?) smile shining on her face. "Wait," Eirika whispered again, more feebly, but she tugged back; Medb paused, seeming rather surprised. "I - I just..." 

"What's wrong?" Medb breathed. Eirika turned to brace against a wall beside her, breathing heavily, aware that her heart was pounding so hard it almost hurt. "You're not having second thoughts now, are you?"

Well, sort of. Eirika flushed as she looked up. "Would you hold it against me if I was?" she murmured, rather distraught by the idea, but Medb seemed more horrified still. "I-It's not that," she assured her hastily. "It's just..." 

"Let's get inside," Medb promised. "You can catch your breath in there, if you need." Eirika nodded, and allowed Medb to lead her on. Now calmed, the world slowing down, she took note of their surroundings - she couldn't tell where she was without pulling up a map on her phone, but she registered Medb's apartment number, something she was sure would come in handy later: 2512. 

She hadn't really considered what she expected Medb's home to look like - but she found herself pleasantly surprised by it; it was well-coordinated, primarily white with girlish pink accents that rather tidily matched Medb's coat and general state of dress. The living room windows were all one enormous window with a commanding view of the cityscape below, a dazzling array of twinkling multicolor lights against a pitch black sky. 

Medb closed the door behind them, then turned around slowly and planted herself against it, smiling prettily with her hands behind her back - Eirika felt compelled to snatch her up and kiss her, but restrained herself enough to make the approach slow and deliberate, pushing one hand against the door over Medb's shoulder first. Medb blushed sweetly, her hips swaying as she smiled up into Eirika's face, biting her lip expectantly. 

"It's strange," Eirika whispered, taking Medb's cheek in her other hand. Medb nuzzled it eagerly. She was warm, and inhumanly soft; Eirika almost felt bad touching her without gloves, as though afraid to contaminate her. "Strange," she repeated faintly. "I've always been... the good girl, you know? Even when I was with other people, I always wanted to be very careful about my image..." 

"Image is important for someone like you," Medb agreed, nodding faintly. "But you are a good girl, aren't you, Eirika?" 

Eirika felt a chill running down her spine. "I might be," she murmured ominously. "But you make me want to throw that away." 

"Oh?" Medb gasped, her expression changing to surprise... even maybe just a hint of anxiety. For a moment Eirika paused, but - it was just a hint... and Medb was smiling shortly after, even if it still seemed a bit nervous. Gods, but it was such a tantalizing look! "Do you want me that badly?" Medb whispered, her voice low and coarse now. "So badly that you'd let your image slip to get me...?"

Eirika was reminded, forcefully and unpleasantly, of Tana's warning - but she pushed that aside. Who was she to judge a woman that got off to being wanted? Honestly, was Eirika really any different? It was an intoxicating feeling! 

"Only very carefully," Eirika hummed, stroking Medb's cheek with her thumb, smiling so big it threatened to turn to a grin. She lowered herself into Medb's lips before Medb could talk back anymore. 

Medb ground eagerly into her body, making clear her desire from the start; Eirika soon hooked her arms under Medb's ass - she was surprisingly light! - and carried her to the backless couch in the room's center, settling into her knees and pulling Medb into her lap. Like this she was really struck by how... small... Medb felt; she was shorter, lighter, dainty in her frame... a tight clutching hold just felt very satisfying, as did Medb's seemingly-helpless squirming against Eirika's body. Their tongues played as they kissed, but Medb's acted in deference now, and Eirika gleefully took the lead, swirling and teasing and probing her in triumph. 

They both grew very hot. That meant clothes needed to come off. Medb tried to remove her own first, but Eirika stopped her - and instead opted to pull them off herself, and rather roughly. She'd fantastized as a younger girl about such treatment... about someone that was so breathlessly impatient to pleasure her that they nearly ripped her clothing open to expose her - the least she could do, in a position of dominance, is fulfill such a fantasy for Medb, and to her credit Medb sure seemed to like the fervor of it. She made herself available to Eirika at every turn, showing herself off without shame as Eirika revealed more and more of her, and Eirika chose to repay such eagerness with tight, possessive grasps across her now-bare skin. Like this Medb took only moments until she was completely nude, grinding against Eirika's bare thigh in the larger woman's lap, moaning sweetly in excitement. 

Now, Eirika shifted back some, allowed Medb to take her own turn to undress her partner; Medb was slower and more careful about it, but not by a whole lot. They threw her blazer into a corner, where it crumpled into a heap on the floor; then Medb impatiently pulled open each button of Eirika's blouse one by one, her tongue trailing down Eirika's exposed stomach along the way until they could unfurl it from her shoulders, and then it too was tossed aside and forgotten about. Eirika had to shift to the side and straighten her legs so Medb could yank off her skirt and panties. She wondered if Medb would go straight for her nethers now that they were both naked, but no, the pink-haired woman hesitated, deferring to Eirika once again. And Eirika smiled at her approvingly. Good girl, she thought, without really meaning to. She pulled Medb back into her lap - then leaned forward, lowering Medb onto her back and laying down atop her, pressing their lips together again as Medb's arms draped around her shoulders, as Medb's legs closed around Eirika's hips. 

Eventually Medb leaned to the side - reaching under the couch for something. Eirika lifted up a bit to give her room, and Medb retrieved a dark bag from the darkness - Eirika recognized it immediately, and glared into Medb's face with an expression of clear suspicion. "Why is that down there?" she said lowly. Medb shrugged, comically innocent. 

"Why wouldn't it be?" she replied blankly. Eirika rolled her eyes and smirked. This was an offering, and one Eirika intended to make good on. "Don't keep me waiting," Medb added breathlessly, her eyes searching Eirika's - that delicious expression that Eirika had come to realize was Medb's lust. It felt so good to have power over that, to be able to wholly claim responsibility for it. She did this. Medb was _her_ toy. 

"Stand up," Eirika ordered, pushing herself up to give her room. Medb did not need telling twice, promptly scurrying aside and standing beside her. "Turn around," Eirika added coyly, and Medb obliged, her hands behind her back as she waited for further instruction. Eirika took advantage of the moment of quiet to figure out how the hell strap-ons worked - she'd watched Medb swiftly don hers enough to get the idea. Then she looked up, not at Medb... but at the window. 

Medb was facing perpendicular, and Eirika could tell she wasn't peeking. Surprisingly obedient, this one. From here, though, Eirika thought how exposed they were. Even now, sitting on the couch like this with a false penis attached at her hip, she could probably be seen by someone that happened to be looking at just the right place at the right time. The thought made her skin crawl, but... at the same time, there was no suitable viewing platform except for other apartment buildings, all a few blocks away at the closest. Someone glancing their way might see something strange... but they probably wouldn't be sure what. Probably.

Besides, Eirika didn't need to be the one presenting herself to the outside world, did she? 

"Against the window," Eirika ordered. Medb gasped, scurrying over to it with a giggle, glancing back at Eirika and grinning. 

"How generous of you to put on a show," Medb whispered hotly, leaning forward some - sticking out her ass and shaking it as Eirika approached. Eirika rolled her eyes, grinning back in spite of herself. 

"I'm not the one to watch," Eirika cooed. " _You_ are." 

Eirika made sure not to rush herself penetrating Medb - though she was so wet and soft and inviting that Eirika almost distracted herself fingering the poor thing - and her first few thrusts were not quite feeble, but decidedly cautious, ensuring that Medb was comfortable with the length and thickness of it. All kind of excessive points, maybe, since this was literally Medb's toy, and since Medb made a point of moaning euphorically every time Eirika's hips pressed against her crotch, but Eirika just wanted to be thorough. Once her fears had been comfortably abated, though, she made herself at home, gripping Medb's sides and laying into her. 

Medb often guided Eirika into sexual experiences that were completely new to her. Eirika had never fingered another woman, never orally pleasured another woman (let alone while they were sitting on her face), never allowed someone to tie her or handcuff her. This time, however, Eirika had no guidance; this was entirely new, but she had chosen to do this to pleasure Medb. She wasn't really afraid or nervous, despite her lack of experience. Medb's desire gave her confidence. 

And like this, her full attention focused on Medb's pleasure, watching her expressions as Medb leaned into the window, Eirika felt like she was learning a lot about her. Medb's encouraging croons and lustful little whines faded as Eirika's movements got more fierce - she liked it rough, got it - and as Eirika found her rhythm the smaller woman's eyes fluttered closed and her smile faded away, her lips parted as she gasped for breath. This was more earnest pleasure. Eirika could see it. She could almost _feel_ it. 

She would have never imagined this would be so satisfying - she wasn't the one being penetrated! - but watching Medb's face, watching her raggedly breathing, her fingers slipping against the glass as she tried to maintain balance - the softness of Medb's ample ass, and the rhythmic _slap-slap-slap_ of their hips striking one another at the peak of each thrust - the heat of Medb's body, the sheen of sweat on her back but also on Eirika's breasts below her as they bobbed with the force of her movements... it was undeniably erotic, regardless of who was penetrating who; just for participating in this Eirika felt hot and lightheaded, like if someone touched her just right she might cry out and crumble. But for now... for now, she was in control, Medb was the one crumbling, not because Eirika had defeated her but because she _wanted_ to fall to pieces for Eirika, Eirika _wanted_ to pound her into jelly... 

"H-How is it?" Eirika panted, more interested just in hearing Medb try to speak than the answer - she felt she already knew. 

"Good," Medb whimpered, "ah, ohh, good, Eirika, v-very, nnh - hh - " She reached up with both hands, clawing at the window for purchase, moaning desperately; her back stretched in front of Eirika, pressing against the glass - Eirika could see the curve of her breast against it - she - her fingers clenched - "Yeah?" Medb panted, and Eirika realized the girl's nearer eye was halfway open, watching her. "Do you want more...?" 

Yes, she did. Eirika lunged forward, her hips jolting forward and hilting herself inside Medb - Medb shot up straight and Eirika's hand wrapped around her stomach and sunk its fingers hungrily into Medb's breast, drawing another sharp, high-pitched moan from her; Medb lifted one knee and Eirika grabbed under her thigh and repositioned herself to resume pumping upward into her. Medb's neck was exposed right at Eirika's chin; she kissed it, but kissing didn't feel even close to enough - she tried to tease with her tongue, and Medb shuddered and her moaning shivered and that was better - but it wasn't until she sunk her teeth into her skin that she felt fully satisfied, Medb trembling in her grasp, fingering herself for all the world outside to see.

Maintaining balance in this position was difficult and tiring, and Eirika felt a deep desire growing in her for Medb's lips; she pulled back hastily, spinning Medb around and lowering her arms to hook under her knees, hefting her up easily and pushing her back against the glass - Medb gasped, clearly shocked by the sudden movement, but welcomed Eirika into her nonetheless, her legs and arms wrapping tightly around Eirika and their lips pressed tightly together, tongues fencing hungrily. 

"O-Oh, gods," Medb whimpered, between feverish kisses, rolling her head back to try to gather breath while Eirika lavished her neck again. "Ohh gods, Eirika, yes..." 

Good? Eirika thought hopefully, and she let out a little whine of desire without thinking. 

"Yeah," Medb groaned, "you're so good, Eirika - _ahh,_ I'm gonna cum so hard - ! I'm gonna - " Her legs locked and flexed, her fingers dug into Eirika so hard it hurt, Eirika cried out in shock and pain and delight, hilting herself in Medb again - !

Poor Medb's breathing came back to her, but it was rapid and shallow, her fingers still scrabbling feebly at Eirika's shoulders for purchase; Eirika didn't need to ask to know that Medb was only just getting started. She carried them back to the couch and carefully lifted Medb off of her to set her down; Medb quickly scrambled to her knees and hugged Eirika's legs in one arm, kissing the base of the strap-on, dragging her tongue around the base and then drawing it to the tip, her eyes fixed upwards on Eirika's; Eirika blinked down at her, surprised, and in her hesitation Medb's free hand wormed up Eirika's thigh and pressed against the leather strapped over her crotch, just under the base, applying pressure to Eirika's neglected slit. 

She hesitated here, catching her breath, stroking through Medb's hair as Medb fellated her and teased through her strap-on, reminding Eirika gently of her own desire. It was a good rest, allowing her body to recover without her lust fading even slightly. "Are you ready to keep going?" she whispered, after a little while; Medb pulled back and nodded sweetly, stroking Eirika with her hand. 

"I like you with one of these," Medb purred. "You sure know what to do with it." 

Eirika hummed with gratitude and giggled. "And I'm going to keep doing it," she purred, "until you can't think straight."

"A woman after my own heart," Medb swooned, scurrying back and spreading her arms. "Have at me, mistress, the night is still yet young~!"


End file.
